I went into DD to order a multi-grain bagel. There was a customer sitting by the window. I would have paid no further attention to him, except he began talking rapidly. He seemed to be talking to no one in particular, but he sounded angry.
"I got a right to sit!"
"I shoulda snuck him!"
"Grabbing me by my right arm!"
He said each of these sentences about three times each, and then he repeated them. He took a sip from his iced coffee. He looked around. He repeated those sentences. He took another sip of coffee. He pulled his cap down over his eyes.
The DD staffers watched him with caution, but said nothing. I was careful not to stare, but I knew if he got out of his seat, I was going to stay out of his way. Other customers sat on the other side of the store, away from him.
I didn't know how to help. When I mentioned this episode to a counselor friend of mine, she reminded me that there are many people wandering around our cities with mental illness who don't get the assistance they need. So sad.
Sylvia
www.sylviabrownroberts.com
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